In this recent two-day conference, Iraqi women leaders and international policymakers came together to discuss the future prospects for women in Iraq and the role that women can play in the transition to self-government in the country.

In this first dispatch, Anita Sharma, Deputy Director of the Conflict Prevention Project, reports on reconstruction efforts in Iraq. On a leave of absence from the Center, Sharma is currently working with the International Organization for Migration in Basra.

While few doubt the ability of coalition forces to defeat the Iraqi regime, questions remain about the prospects for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. A recent meeting convened by the Center's Conflict Prevention Project looked at some of the key challenges presented by the prospective post-conflict situation in Iraq.

According to the U.S. State Department, human trafficking is among the fastest growing criminal activities with more than 700,000 people, mostly women and children, trafficked worldwide annually, including 50,000 persons into the United States. This half-day conference focused on trafficking in persons and regional responses to combating this problem.